Raloxifene Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer in Postmenopausal
       Women


       WESTPORT, CT (Reuters Health) Feb 13 - The benzothiophene selective estrogen receptor
modulator   raloxifene reduces the risk of invasive estrogen-receptor-positive breast cancers by
84% when used by  women with osteoporosis, according to results of the Multiple Outcomes of
Raloxifene Evaluation  (MORE) trial.

       Dr. Jane A. Cauley, of the University of Pittsburgh, and associates randomly assigned 2576
women to  placebo, 2557 to raloxifene 60 mg/day, and 2572 to raloxifene 120 mg/day.  The
subjects were recruited   from 180 sites in 25 countries.  The findings appear in the February 26th
issue of Breast Cancer  Research and Treatment.

       Among the women taking raloxifene, the incidence of all types of breast cancer decreased by
62% and  the incidence of invasive breast cancer decreased by 72%.  The authors estimate that
one case of invasive breast cancer would be prevented for every 93 women with osteoporosis
treated with raloxifene for 4  years.

       Adverse events that were more frequently observed in the treatment groups than in the
placebo group  included flu syndrome, hot flashes, leg cramps, endometrial cavity fluid, and
peripheral edema.   Thromboembolic disease occurred at a rate of 3.32 and 3.63 per 1 000
woman-years in the subjects  taking 60 mg/day and 120 mg/day raloxifene, respectively,
compared with 1.44 per 1 000 woman-year  for placebo.

       However, vaginal bleeding, breast pain, and endometrial cancer, commonly associated with
estrogen and tamoxifen, did not occur more often in the raloxifene groups than in the placebo
group.